Energy and the Behavior of Connectionist Models.

Abstract : Massively parallel (connectionist) computational models are playing an increasingly important role in cognitive science. Establishing the behavioral correctness of a connectionist model is exceedingly difficult, as it is with any complex system. For a restricted class of models, one can define an analog to the energy function of physics and this can be used to help prove properties of a network. This paper explores energy and other techniques for establishing that a network meets its specifications. The treatment is elementary, computational, and focuses on specific examples. No free lunch is offered.